Abstract
Background and aims
Reducing alcohol consumption by liver disease patients can reduce morbidity and mortality. This study compared a computer‐delivered brief alcohol intervention (cBAI) with standard care in a sample of US military veterans with liver disease.
Design
Multi‐site, randomized controlled trial of a cBAI plus standard care (n=67) versus standard care only (n=71). Participants were assessed at baseline and 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐up.
Setting
US Veterans Health Administration liver clinics.
Participants
Participants were mostly male and diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Interventions and comparators
A cBAI tailored to veterans with liver disease and consisting of assessment and personalized feedback. Standard care was brief education and advice about alcohol and liver disease.
Measurement
Primary outcomes were self‐reported number of drinking days and unhealthy drinking days (defined as >2 drinks for men and >1 for women) in the past 30 days at 6‐month follow‐up. Secondary outcomes were these two variables at 3‐month follow‐up, and drinks consumed per drinking day, depression, and overall health at 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation.
Findings
Compared with standard care, cBAI participants reported significantly fewer drinking days at 6‐month follow‐up and fewer unhealthy drinking days at both 3‐ and 6‐months follow‐ups. Least Square means (LS‐means) for number of drinking days were 3.78 for the cBAI condition and 6.89 for the standard care condition at 6 months (LS‐mean ratio=3.78/6.89=0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34, 0.89). LS‐means for number of unhealthy drinking days were 1.04 for the cBAI condition and 2.57 for the standard care condition at 3‐months follow‐up (LS‐mean ratio=1.04/2.57=0.41, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.85). At 6‐months follow‐up, LS‐means were 1.18 for the cBAI condition and 2.75 for the standard care condition (LS‐mean ratio =1.18/2.75=0.43, 95% CI = 0.20, 0.91).
Conclusions
A computer‐delivered brief alcohol intervention reduced drinking days and unhealthy drinking days at 6‐month follow up in military veterans with liver disease compared with brief education and advice to reduce consumption.